In Which Howl and Sophie Celebrate a Momentous Occasion
by Nuingarien
Summary: Howl and Sophie celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Fluff warning! This one-shot can probably get away with a K rating but I wanted to be on the safe side.


To theredrobin, who created a beautiful multi-chapter fic covering the events between Howl's Moving Castle and Castle in the Air, this one-shot is lovingly dedicated. The story can be found here: s/5407726/1/Which-Happens-Somewhere-in-the-Middle

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or places mentioned- that distinction belongs to the late Diana Wynne Jones. Only the simple plot can be attributed to me.

This is my first Howl x Sophie story. Enjoy!

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Sophie Pendragon, or Jenkins, depending on whichever world she happened to be in at the time, entered the castle from the yard which connected to the flower shop in Market Chipping. Closing the door behind her, she shrieked in fright when she was suddenly pinned against it.

"Howl!"

"I've missed you." His arms were on either side of her head, his forearms resting against the door.

"You frightened me!"

"I'm sorry, my love. I was just too eager to see you again."

Sophie wanted to give her newly returned husband a piece of her mind but the gaze in his eyes was both properly chastised and adoring that she let it go.

Without further ado, the Royal Wizard of Ingary kissed her fervently. Sophie's arms automatically went around his neck, holding him in place, dropping her basket in the process. After a few delicious minutes of getting reacquainted with her beloved, Sophie pushed against his chest.

"I've missed you too. Have you had anything to eat?"

He shook his head, already leaning down once more to capture her lips.

"Howl!" Sophie pushed him again. "Not here!"

"Why not?" His voice was laced with something that warmed Sophie to her toes. She glanced pointedly at the hearth.

"Calcifer's not here and I arranged for Michael to spend the weekend at Ben's." He nuzzled her throat.

"Oh?" A finely shaped brow arched up in contemplation.

"Enough thinking about our housemates, Mrs. Nose, it's our anniversary tomorrow, or have you forgotten?" He leaned in again.

"Of course not!"

"There, there, no need to be defensive. It's perfectly understandable if you forget these things every now and then, considering how busy you always are, even if our wedding was such a momentous occasion."

Howl dramatically placed a hand over his heart at feigned hurt over her forgetfulness.

"Howl Jenkins! I have not forgotten! In fact, I'm surprised _you_ remember."

He had been kept very busy by orders and requests from the King for the past few months what with the war with Strangia after all.

"Me? Forget? Never, cariad." His voice deepened, the teasing tone he always assumed, gone. "How could I? It was the day when the best and loveliest of women in both worlds became mine."

A delighted blush colored Sophie's cheeks at his heartfelt declaration.

"Well," she stepped toward him, splaying her hands on his solid chest and sliding them down to the flat planes of his stomach, "You were demonstrating something earlier, Mr. Jenkins?" She tilted her face up to his, the perfect angle to receive his kisses which he promptly and eagerly bestowed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and swung her off the floor, lowering her onto a mattress that had appeared invitingly in front of the hearth where a merry fire had burst to life at a flick of his wrist.

"What if Calcifer comes back?" Sophie pushed against Howl for the third time. Howl groaned at the interruption though he noted with a self-satisfied grin that his wife was already quite breathless and her flushed cheeks were not due to the fire.

"He'll stay away if he knows what's good for him." He growled, trying to ease Sophie back against the pillows piled high on the mattress. Predictably, she resisted.

"Let's just go upstairs."

Howl sighed. He wanted to roll his eyes but controlled himself, experience warning him that if he didn't handle this correctly he wouldn't be celebrating their anniversary the way he madly wanted to. He knew Sophie wouldn't relax until her mind was at ease—it was one of the things he adored about her, even if the trait was certainly asserting itself at an annoyingly bad time. He held her face tenderly in his hands, their foreheads touching.

"Firstly, he knows it's our anniversary and that we're not having a big celebration. Secondly, I cast a spell on the castle to keep intruders out—even if they do live here. So, there's nothing to be worried about, dear heart. We have the whole castle to ourselves." He lowered his lips to her ear. "I'm nothing if not thorough," he finished, reveling in the shiver than ran through Sophie's slender frame at his double-entendre. His mouth found hers and this time she didn't protest but drew him down to her as she lay back.

"Howl?"

"Yes, Sophie?"

"Welcome home."

And now, let as draw away and leave the loving couple on the eve of their first wedding anniversary. Let it suffice to say that Sophie was a very thoroughly satisfied wife and Howl—well, Howl has always been and still is, a thoroughly pleased and very smug husband.


End file.
